


Cheater!Levi x Reader - Wandering Spirit [China!AU]

by WindMeister8



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Ancient China, Cheater, Clan, F/M, Jealousy, Love, Maids, Tribe - Freeform, betrothal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-05 11:58:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6703708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindMeister8/pseuds/WindMeister8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What is love? If love is supposed to free your heart and bring joy to your soul, why then do I feel like my spirit is trapped by the same chains that bind us together?</p><p>What does loving someone even mean?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cheater!Levi x Reader - Wandering Spirit [China!AU]

**Author's Note:**

> **(AU Note: For maximum effect, listen to[this](http://www.yourepeat.com/watch/?v=cuJ-eZ3zkRw&start_at=9&end_at=100))**

The drums beat a steady rhythm, setting the pace for the men below as they practiced their martial arts steps. Their voices echoed in the large courtyard, clear enough for anyone to hear their indomitable spirit that was conveyed in each yell.

High above on one of the many bridges overlooking the courtyard, a woman watched their training, accompanied by her two chambermaids. Clad in a simple but elegant robe, she stood close to the stone railing, her hands clasped together close to her chest. The symbol of an upper-class noblewoman.

Looking at her soldiers perform their newly-acquired moves, she was satisfied with how things were turning out. The marriage between the two clans had certainly worked out to the advantage of both sides. Combining the manpower of her clan with the expertise of the other clan, they were now strong enough to defend themselves against invaders.

Yet, neither the pleasing results nor the fact that her arranged marriage was with someone she loved, could ease the constant ache in her heart. So deep within her thoughts was she that the new presence of someone beside her went unnoticed until the last moment when he spoke.

“Lady (F/N).”

Startled, her head jerked towards the source of the voice, her dainty feet shuffling quickly away. As her gaze came to rest on the man standing beside her, she broke into a serene smile. Bowing her head slightly in acknowledgement, she greeted her raven-eyed husband.

“My lord Levi. My humblest apologies for not noticing your presence.”

The handsome man before her whom she called her husband, held his hand up in dismissal. His black locks swept across his chiseled face as he turned and leaned against the railing, surveying the scene in the courtyard.

“That’s alright. Like my lady, I wanted to see for myself how the training has progressed,” he said while his eyes took in every single person down below.

Following in suit, she returned her attention to the training men. “They’re doing very well. If it goes on at this rate, we might even be able to reclaim our territory.”

“Indeed.”

Out of the corner of her eyes, she studied her husband’s expression. Seldom did he show a different countenance other than his somber and tough appearance. On rare occasions, she had seen his gentle side but sadly, those moments were not spent with her. Still, the time she spent with him after their marriage had been enough for her to get to know and understand him. From the way his gaze seemed so distant and his lips so tightly pursed together, she knew that something was dwelling on his mind.

Gently, she tried to probe him to confess his concerns. “Is something on your mind, my lord?”

His gaze fleeted to her for a moment before resuming its survey of the training session. “It’s nothing.”  
She remained silent, watching him patiently until finally, he turned towards her. His lips parted and closed a few times as if he was unsure how or what to say to her. Eventually, he closed his eyes and when he next spoke, his voice was quiet and strained.

“Maid Petra has been taken ill and her condition has not been improving. Nothing can be done and I fear the worst.”

**看不穿 是你失落的魂魄  
(Unable to see through your wandering spirit)**

His words curled like vines around her heart, each constriction squeezing the life force out of her. Yet her mild smile never once did waver.

“That is certainly concerning. I pray and hope that she will overcome this adversity.” Practiced words conveying concern effortlessly spilled from her painted lips.

“I’m going to visit her now. Would my lady care to join me? I’m sure Petra would be delighted and honored to be paid a visit by you.”

**猜不透 是你瞳孔的颜色  
(Unfathomable, the color of your pupils)**

Misty, grey eyes stared at her, silently imploring. Time and time again, she found herself lost in its intensity, falling deeper into the complex webs that defined the man itself. It was a daunting task to untangle herself from it and the more she tried, the more intertwined the webs that held her there. She had not the power to cut it, neither did she have the will.

**一阵风 一场梦  
** 爱如(是)生命般(的)莫测  
(A passing wind, a waking dream  
Like life, love remains undefined) 

Just lying in the cocoon, she wished to never wake up. But she knew it was all but a dream. She was a prisoner of the circumstances and of her own doing.

Tearing herself away from the eyes that held her captive, she gestured towards the courtyard. “I would join my lord but my duties here beckon me. Please do convey my sincerest wishes to maid Petra.”

Even as she averted him, she felt his gaze upon her face. She silently wished that he leave but her wish was not to be granted. 

“My lady knows perfectly well that the training does not require our overseeing. Is something wrong?”

**你的心 到底被什么蛊惑  
(Your heart, what confuses it so?)**

His concern only served as salt to her wound. Trying hard to conceal her mounting distress, she answered with the same phrase “It’s nothing.”

The silence between them stretched on, punctuated only by the yells from the men below. Refusing to give in to her emotions, her lips remained sealed, waiting for him to give in.

“My lady,” he began. “I’ll say this now and I’ll say it again, as many times as you need to hear it. My responsibility and loyalty is always towards my lady.”

He stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “(F/N), you are important to me.”

With that, he took his leave. It was only after the sound of his footsteps receded that she spun around to catch the last glimpse of his silhouette disappearing into the distance, leaving nothing but the ghost of his touch on her skin. A lingering sentiment for her to keep.

**你的轮廓在黑夜之中淹没  
(The outline of your body disappears into the night)**

“Lady (F/N), Petra is still sleeping-“

“It’s alright. I just wanted to see her for myself. You’re excused.”

“Yes, lady (F/N),” the servant acknowledged and with his head bowed, left the chambers.

Making her way to the bed where Petra laid, she sat in the chair that had been placed beside it. To her left was a small table with a pot of medicinal tea and a teacup. Placing the packet of powder she had recently purchased beside the pot, she turned her attention back to the sleeping woman.

She took Petra’s cold hand in hers, feeling the rough texture of the woman’s skin rub against her own soft hands. They were close in age, yet the lines on Petra’s face and hands made her look much older. There had been a time when the maid was still young, and her status in society had not taken a toll on her looks.

**看桃花 开出怎样的结果  
(I watch the cherry blossoms, waiting to see them bloom)**

Though her memory was vague, snippets of her encounter with her husband and the maid played like a broken record in her mind. At the betrothal ceremony, Levi as a child looked no different than at present; bearing the same serious expression, he only looked more like an angry child. Only the occasional whisper in his ear by the equally young maid behind him could make his frightful scowl drop instantly.

**看着你 抱着我 目光似(比)月色寂寞  
(I watch you, embracing me, your eyes lonelier than the moonlight)**

Even the passing of time had not changed that. Not even in their most intimate moments had she seen him as happy and peaceful as he was with her. They were bound only through marriage dictated by the necessity of their clans’ survival. But it was clear to her eyes that what he had with Petra transcended their obligatory bond – that was her definition of true love. She was the intruder on what would have been their happy ending.

**就让你 在别人怀里快乐  
(And I let you seek happiness in someone else’s arms)**

But then again, true love adapts to the circumstances. When one’s love is absent, the heart quickly finds solace in another. As complicated and undefinable as love was, it was equally fickle and disloyal. Death comes to everyone, it’s just a matter of when. Maybe for some, it was better for it to be earlier rather than later…

As she reached for the small packet of poison she had placed beside the pot, a small groan startled her. Quickly hiding the packet in her sleeve, she faced the waking woman. 

Petra’s drowsy eyes were still glazed over but as it refocused, she gasped at the sight of (F/N) sitting by her bedside. Hurriedly, she scrambled up in an effort to bow but her weak body protested at the sudden strain and she bent over, coughing.

“It’s alright, Petra. Don’t strain yourself.”

Soothingly, (F/N) reassured the ill woman and made her lean back on the soft pillows. “I just came to see how you were doing. Let me pour you some medicine.”

She patted Petra’s hand and while concealing the packet in the other, she made to reach for the pot. But her movement was stopped suddenly by the tight grip on her wrist. Her eyes widened at this sign of disrespect by Petra since servants were not permitted to touch their masters unless ordered to.

“Lady (F/N), please accept your humble servant’s apology. But there’s no need to do that. I have accepted my death is near and no medicine can change that which has already been determined by destiny.”

The maid’s voice was weak but her strong resolve could be heard. Silently admiring Petra’s acceptance of her death, she straightened up in her chair, placing her hands back in her lap.

“I will respect your honorable wish then. As a token of my gratitude, I will allow you one request and I will honor it to the best of my abilities,” she said solemnly.

Petra regarded (F/N) seriously before a soft smile broke across her lips. “Lord Levi’s perception of Lady (F/N) is indeed true.”

**爱着你 像心跳难触摸  
(Loving you, untouchable like a heartbeat)**

Her hands flew to her chest, trying to calm the flurry of her heartbeat. “Wha-what do you mean?”

“Often does Lord Levi mention Lady (F/N) and it is always in admiration for Lady (F/N)’s inner strength and wisdom. It is your humble subject’s opinion that Lady (F/N) is of utmost importance to Lord Levi.”

For those words to be uttered twice in a single day could hardly be coincidence but she also knew that it was not in the maid’s nature to say something that she did not mean. Of what bearing this had on her last request, she did not know, but she would let her finish.

**画着你 画不出你的骨骼  
(Painting you, I cannot paint your skeleton)**

“Maybe it is hard for Lady (F/N) to believe my words. But please trust me when I say that I’ve never known Lord Levi to be at peace until he married Lady (F/N). Growing up with Lord Levi, he has always been troubled and restless. Never has he enjoyed the simple pleasures of life nor has he found anything amusing. Hasn’t Lady (F/N) noticed that?”

**记着你的脸色 是我等你的执著  
(Remembering your expression, my reason to persist in waiting for you)**

Images of Levi flashed in her mind; how he expressed his desire to learn a variety of new hobbies, his satisfied smirk when he achieved something, the way his lips curved up ever so slightly during the comedian plays. All the little things that had slowly captured her heart.

“Lord Levi needs you by his side,” Petra continued, disturbing her thoughts. “Lady (F/N) asked me for my last wish and my wish is this.”

“I want to die remembering Lord Levi as he is now.”

No words could accurately describe the swirling bittersweet emotions that she felt at that moment. That simple yet meaningful wish had enlightened her heart and soul, freeing her from the clutches of envy and despair. Love need not be complicated by man’s laws and devices; it only required a heart that gave and asked nothing back in return. 

She clasped Petra’s hands firmly in hers. The barest of smiles ghosted across her face as she whispered back.

“I promise.”

**我的心 只愿为你而割舍  
(My heart, only willing to be cut for you)**


End file.
